The Little Things
by KatxKatxKat
Summary: What happens when Manny, Sid, And Diego find another Saber half dead and buried in snow? after some whining from Sid shes stays with them, but when her dark past catches up to her she'll need to make a choice:her life or her new friends.
1. Chapter 1

Manny, Diego, and Sid were tracking through snow in their usual manner. Sid talking endlessly, leaving Manny and Diego to try and ignore him or throw in some 'shut ups'. Sid was going on about a 'funny' story when he went migrating, babbling about rhinos and dung beetles and other seemingly pointless stuff. Diego had his ears laid flat against his skull in irritation, grumbling under his breath when he stopped. Sid noticed first and stopped talking long enough to turn around and look at Diego. Manny turned around shortly after knowing something must be wrong if Sid had stopped talking. Many looked first at Sid then to Diego. Seeing Diego's scrunched up eyebrows Manny walked a few steps back over to Diego.

"Hey, you alright?"

Diego snapped out of what ever he was concentrating on and looked at Manny "I smell blood…a lot of it"

"Where from?" Manny asked all business. If there was blood someone must have caused it to spill.

Diego didn't answer right away but did after a minute of quiet "a few yards in front of us"

Manny turned and looked but saw nothing that looked threatening.

"You sure about that, Tiger?" Sid questioned, also seeing nothing

"Yes I'm sure." Diego hissed, getting close to Sid's face, his teeth bared slightly. He waited until Sid backed away from him before walking forward, his face close to the floor. Manny and Sid followed behind their friend, wondering if Diego was losing his mind. They continued to walk for about three minutes before Diego came to a stop.

"Here!" he was looking at a mound of snow.

"That's just a pile of snow" Manny stated dryly

Diego ignored him and started to brush the snow out of the away with a paw. As the pile lessened, the snow started to turn pink. Seeing this Diego pushed the remaining pile away and froze at what he saw. Sid and Manny noticing Diego stop came up beside him and looked. Sid gasped dramatically while Manny looked taken a back.

"Is…is she still alive?" Manny asked staring down at the Saber Tooth covered in blood.

"How can she? Look at her wounds." Diego said eyes glued to the carcass. Manny placed his trunk over the Saber's chest and waited, trying to feel a heart beat. He only had to wait 30 seconds before he felt a small, fible drum.

"She's still alive!" Manny wrapped his trunk around the Saber as gently as he could and placed her in front of his feet.

"What do we do?" Sid asked in a panicked voice. Manny turned to Diego and Sid.

"Go get wood."

They nodded and ran off. As they went Manny checked the Saber's wounds to see if they were still bleeding. They weren't. Some still looked a little moist but for the most part the were scabbed over. Manny lay down and wrapped his trunk around the Saber's unusually slim body. Trying to warm her up. Manny looked down at the Saber. Eyebrows pulled together. The patches of her fur that were visible were a light almost white sandy brown which was matted together with dry blood and dirt. Manny knew that Sabers weren't the biggest mammals around but most wouldn't mess with them and this Saber's wounds were too many to say that she just fell. Manny looked up at the sound of running paws and saw Diego with a mouth full of wood and Sid holding two rocks so he could make the fire. The two of the hurriedly set the wood up and within no time a small flame was going. Manny moved closer to the fire and place the Saber down as close to it without her catching on fire.

"What do we do?" Diego asked quietly repeating what Sid asked earlier, his ears flat against his head but for a different reason this time.

"Wait and see if she pulls through." Manny told him, lying back down. Diego and Sid followed suit and sat down.

"I wonder where she came from." Sid asked no one in particular but then he looked at his two friends "where's her pack?"

No one answered but they were all wondering the same thing. They seemed to be wondering a lot about the pale Saber. Where'd she come from? How'd she get hurt? Why didn't her pack help her? Where was her pack? Sabers rarely traveled alone. The three didn't talk, not even Sid, but instead just watched the Saber.

The sun had already set and the moon was up before they saw any difference in the Saber. First her nose twitched and then she started making low, breathy growls scaring Sid. She continued growling for a few minutes, her paws starting to kick as well before she suddenly sprang to her paws with a defying roar. The three jumped up and backed away slightly, staring at the female Saber warily waiting for her to attack. But they didn't need to worry since just as quick as she was up, she was down. She hit the floor with an 'umprf' and looked at the Mammoth, Saber toothed cat, and Sloth in front of her. Seeing that they weren't the ones after her she relaxed. She looked at them apologetically, her ears flat.

"Sorry I thought you were someone else." Her voice was surprisingly clear and strong, considering her state. Before they could say anything though she got back up on her paws, her whole body shaking.

"h-hey wait you should rest" Manny told the female. She just smiled and forced her body to stop shaking.

"It's ok. I'm fine. Thank you for taking care of me but I'll be leaving. Sorry for burdening you." She said as she started to walk away. She took five steps before falling. She growled.

"You shouldn't be walking. My names Sid." He told her, running in front of her with a bright smile. She brought her head back slightly in surprise.

"What's your name?"

She blinked "I'm Kyra." She said slowly.

"That's Manny and Diego." Sid said pointing over to the Mammoth and Saber tooth cat. Kyra turned her head and dipped her head in greeting before looking back at Sid

"Where'd you come from?"

"From the south."

"Where's your pack"

She tensed slightly but no one seemed to notice

"not with me."

"how'd you get so hurt?"

She tensed even farther, catching Manny's and Diego's attention.

"Ok enough questions." Manny said giving Sid a stern look. Relief flashed across Kyra's face as she once again tried to get up. Manny gently pushed on her back though making her lay back down.

"And you rest."

She stared up at Manny before cracking a grin "kind of hard to argue with a ten ton furry monster." The way she said it wasn't insulting so it caused Manny and the rest to grin back. They all positioned themselves in front of the fire and settled down for sleep. Everyone except Kyra. She stared into the flames and thought. She would rest for today and then leave. The sooner the better. That way no one would get hurt.


	2. Chapter 2

Kyra gave a growl like yawn as she stretched awake, followed by a groan of pain. It felt like every muscle in her body was sore. She shook it off the best she could and sat up. she took in the odd group still sleeping smiling as she saw Sid laying on his back, tongue lopped out. She watched them for a while longer before slowly standing up with a sigh (which sounded more like a groan). She started walking off, going far too slowly for her taste but stopped when she heard a voice.

"You're just going to leave with out saying good bye?" Diego asked with a raised eyebrow. Kyra grinned but it held no humor.

"Man, and I was hoping to make a quick getaway"

Diego added a smirk to his raised eyebrow "in your condition? I bet Sid could getaway faster"

She smiled and looked down at the ground before looking back up at Diego.

"I really should go—"she got cut off by a greenish brown fur ball lunging it's self at her and attaching to her leg.

"Don't go!" Sid said loudly, waking Manny. Kyra couldn't help but to roll her eyes and smile at the same time.

"I have to." She told him then looked up at Manny "is there a lake or river around here?"

"A few miles up ahead."

Kyra nodded, pried Sid gently off her leg, and started off once again. Kyra walked as best as she could and as fast as she could but she still limped along at a slow pace. When she heard footsteps behind her, though, she stopped all together and turned around.

"Why are you following me?" she asked irritation starting to crawl into her tone.

"We were going this way before we even met you." Manny said innocently. Sid and Diego nodded just as innocently. Kyra rolled her eyes but turned around and continued to walk -limp- away. It wasn't after too much time that Sid came over to her side and started talking to her.

"So what's your favorite color?"

Kyra looked at him wondering why he was talking to her and why he had asked a stupid question.

"You know just because we're going the same way doesn't mean that you have to talk to me

"But I want to. So what's your favorite color?"

She sighed but found herself answering anyway "um I don't know…" she _really_ didn't know. She never thought about it so she decided to answer with the color she was currently staring at; which happened to be the brown trail she was walking on

"Brown."

"Brown? Why brown? It's such a boring color."

"Manny's brown" she pointed out

"He's a boring guy." He answered back, earning a 'hey!' from Manny. Kyra chuckled.

"Fine then what's yours"

"Yellow because it's the color of the sun and dandelions and it's bright and happy"

"It's also the color of pee" Kyra told him in amusement.

"Well pee's warm" Sid countered trying to defend his choice in colors

"It also smells"

"It helps clear out you system!"

"It's a waste of valuable time"

"Fine my new favorite color is green"

"Which is the color of snot"

"Not all snot is green!"

"Yes, only the most disgusting"

"Snot help keep your nose safe"

"Once again yes but it's also sticky, slimy and gross."

Sid huffed and crossed his arms, not really mad but frustrated that she was countering everything with negative things

"Fine then orange."

"Throw up"

"White"

"Luggies"

"Gray"

"Mold"

Sid smiled, an idea coming to mind. If she was going to say a negative thing for each color why not use her own?

"Brown."

"Poop"

"Ha! But that's your favorite color!"

"So? Just because it's the color of poop doesn't mean I can't like it"

Sid sighed and admitted his defeat. As they were arguing Manny and Diego watched on amused and slightly annoyed that they wouldn't just shut up.

Sid had just asked her if she really did have a pack when she noticed, with relief, that they were close the lake now.

"Oh! Well look at that, there's the lake!" she said in an almost nervous voice before forcing her legs to carry her forward at a trot, leaving her to ignore the screams of protest her legs were sending her. She came to a grateful stop at the water's edge and bent down to drank, unintentionally giving the other three time to catch up. Once her thirst was quenched, she put one paw in the water followed by the other.

"You're not actually going in are you?" Diego asked, his voice a mix between disbelief, disgust, and slight fear.

"I don't really have a choice now do I?" she pointed a paw to her still blood and dirt matted fur.

"You can swim then?" Diego asked this time his voice full of doubt.

"Of course not, water's for drinking not swimming. Don't be ridulous." She said airily, a smile tugging at her lips.

"You're the ridulous one. Why are you go to go into a _lake _when you don't even know how to swim?"

"Well there's no better time then now to learn. Besides if I start to drown I'll just get back into shallower water." She answered him as if she was telling him the weather. Without waiting any longer she plunged herself into the cold water, sinking instantly. Trying to keep as calm as possible she started to kick her legs like she'd seen other mammals do. Though it didn't seem to work for her too well. She had to admit that she was now panicked. Her sink or swim theory hadn't worked as well as she had hoped. Or maybe better yet, it was working too well considering she was proving to be very good at sinking. Her lungs burned, begging her to breath. She felt the panic build as her throat felt tight, as if it was going to explode. Her body was about to give into its needs, despite the apparent lack of oxygen, when something wrapped it's self around her middle and pulling her out of the water. She choked and breathed in a deep gulp of air, sighing afterwards.

"What happened to going to the shallow water?" Manny asked in an amused tone though his eyes showed her that he had been worried. She was still panting lightly her body trying to get its need of air.

"It seems that I'm only good for sinking... Thanks by the way."

"What would you have done if we weren't here?" Diego asked strangely angry. Kyra realized that he must be angry because after all the trouble they went through to save her and she went and almost got herself killed again. Despite the small guilt she felt she wasn't going to say sorry.

"I would have most likely would have died."

Diego sighed, frustrated and rolled his eyes. By this time Manny had already place Kyra back on the ground, and she made her way back to the water this time keeping in the shallow water. She tried her best to scrape and lick the blood and grime of her fur but she could only reach so far. She sighed. Leave it to her luck to come all the way here, almost die, and not be able to do what she'd come for. She was about to get out when she felt a scratching on her back. She turned her head and saw Sid scrub her back with a tree branch.

"You don't have to do that you know."

Sid shrugged and grinned with what Kyra felt was his 'Sid grin'

"What are buddies for?"

Kyra's eyes softened at the Sloth's kindness. She gave a deep purr of thanks and nudged Sid's side with her head. Sid looked shocked.

"Saber tooth tigers can purr?" he looked straight at Diego. And Diego shrugged, looking away.

"As if I'd purr" Kyra thought she heard him mumble. She chuckled.

"We only purr if we're happy. Diego just must not be a happy cat." She said in a teasing mater-of-fact voice.

"That's for sure." Sid said joining in on the teasing, laughing. He stopped shortly after starting, by the roar Diego gave. Sid turned back to scrubbing Kyra's fur, hurriedly.

"There done!" Sid said proudly and tossing the branch to the side. "I didn't even know your fur was this color!" he said looking at the pale sandy fur. Kyra laughed and walked back onto land where she shook violently, getting the water off her body but making herself look like a puff ball. Sid, Manny, and Diego laughed at her openly and loudly.

"Ha-ha." She said dryly as she shook more gently this time, making her fur go back down sleek and shiny. The guys were still laughing so Kyra just started walking off. Noticing her leaving the boys stopped laughing and gapped at her

"Your really not going to leave are you?" Sid asked; looking almost cute with the lost puppy look he was sending her. Her mind wrilled quickly. Did she dare stay with them? Was she going to potentionally put their lives in danger? She looked at them all of them wearing varying faces that told her not to go, though Sid's still outmatching the other two's. She let out a breath, which was unnoticeable. She smiled at the three mammals in front of her.

"I thought this was the way we were going?"

Sid smiled and barraged into Kyra side, knocking her over.

"Yeah Sid still injured." She gasped, though playfully.

"Oh! Sorry."

She chuckled and stood up looking at the Mammoth and Saber.

"Well you coming?"

They grinned and went over to her, and started off back down the trail. This time though their herd a little bigger

* * *

Ok so sorry for taking so long to update but i didn't think anyone one was going to find in intresting *shrugs*. i want to say thanks to everyone who took the time to read this. i also want to ask you guys if you think that Kyra going with them was too sudden and if i should slow it down some more. most likely i will because i think it'll make the story more intresting ;)


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